Alabama men's basketball team signs three

By Cecil HurtSports Editor | The Tuscaloosa News

Thursday

Nov 14, 2013 at 12:01 AM

The University of Alabama added three men’s basketball players Wednesday in a class Crimson Tide coach Anthony Grant said will “help to raise the level of the program in the future.” The class — point guard Justin Coleman of Wenonah High in Birmingham, small forward Riley Norris of Albertville and shooting guard Devin Mitchell of metro Atlanta — is ranked 25th nationally by Rivals.com.

The University of Alabama added three men’s basketball players Wednesday in a class Crimson Tide coach Anthony Grant said will “help to raise the level of the program in the future.” The class — point guard Justin Coleman of Wenonah High in Birmingham, small forward Riley Norris of Albertville and shooting guard Devin Mitchell of metro Atlanta — is ranked 25th nationally by Rivals.com.“We are excited about the three young men we signed today,” Grant said. “We feel like they are outstanding players and high-character kids.“Justin Coleman is a true point guard. When I watch him play, I see what you want as a coach is a guy at that position who can raise the level of the play of his teammates. He has great speed, great vision and is a great competitor. His team has won three straight state championships and is going for a fourth.“Riley Norris is a guy who brings a tremendous skill set into a program. He shoots the ball well. He brings a high basketball I.Q. to our team when he walks in the door. “Devin Mitchell will provide tremendous options to our team with his versatility. From Day One, he will be a media favorite. He has an infectious personality, a very popular player.“These were all family decisions, made by kids who live one to three hours from our campus.”Grant said Alabama will not add any additional players in November, although he did not entirely close the door on a possible late-period signee. “We are done for the early period,” Grant said. “We only have one senior (Trevor Releford) so right now we are at 13 scholarships (the NCAA limit). You always keep your options open, but I am pleased with the team that we could put on the floor (in 2014-15) right now.”Rivals.com national basketball recruiting analyst Eric Bossi said UA’s class could help address the program’s needs.“I think that a lack of reliable perimeter shooters has been a big problem for the Crimson Tide and it is something that Anthony Grant and their staff hope they’ve addressed,” Bossi said. “I don’t know if I would call Justin Coleman a pure shooter, but he is fearless and can go on big runs where he knocks home several jumpers in a hurry. Riley Norris is an excellent spot-up guy with good size and Devin Mitchell is one of the best shooters in the entire class. So long as these guys do what they have shown they can do, they should help solve some shot making problems.”

GymnasticsThe Alabama gymnastics team signed five gymnasts, including two who are slated to join the Crimson Tide for the spring semester.“This is another step in the relationship we have built with these women,” UA coach Sarah Patterson said. “We’re so excited to have them join the Crimson Tide and our gymnastics family.”Mackenzie Brannan, Nickie Guerrero and Kiana Winston will join the Crimson Tide for the 2015 season, while Keely McNeer and Aja Sims are slated to join the 2014 team in December and be eligible to compete immediately.“These ladies are all supremely talented and will be exciting additions to our team,” Patterson said. “I’m very pleased that Aja and Keely will be joining us as we go through this season on the road to the SEC and NCAA championship, both of which will be held in Birmingham this spring. It’s a very exciting time for our program.”Sims comes from Orlando, Fla. and is coached by Kelly Pitzen and Brandy Johnson at Brandy Johnson’s Global Gymnastics. A member of the USA Junior Olympic team in 2011-12, she has an uneven bars skill, “The Sims,” named for her. She is the 2012 Junior Olympic national all-around, uneven bars and balance beam champion.McNeer is a native of Brandon, Miss., and is coached by Mario and Cheryl Gonzalez at Courthouse Gymnastics Co. A 2010-11 member of the USA National Team, she finished 15th in the all-around at the 2010 Visa Championships. A native of Austin, Texas, Brannan is coached by Barry Hyder at Capital Gymnastics. A four-time USA Championships competitor, she took fourth on the uneven bars at the 2010 national event. She also won the 2013 Junior Olympic floor exercise championship as well as the all-around title at the 2011 and 2012 Nadia Comaneci International Invitational.Guerrero hails from McKinney, Texas, and is coached by Tatiana Schgelkova and Alex Atamas at Zenith Gymnastics. A three-time USA Championships qualifier, she finished fourth in the all-around in 2013. She also qualified for the 2013 USA Junior Olympic National Team.Fort Worth, Texas, native Kiana Winston trains under Chris Burdette and Kim Zmeskal Burdette at Texas Dreams Gymnastics. A three-time USA Championships qualifier, she was a member of the USA Junior National Team.

Women’s basketballThe UA women’s basketball program signed Kuaneshia Baker, a 5-foot-9 guard rated as the No. 4 junior college player in the country, on Wednesday. Baker was the 2012 Gatorade Player of the Year in Louisiana and set a school record with 2,695 career points.New Alabama women’s basketball coach Kristy Curry is expected to sign more players before the early signing period ends.

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